Hearts in chaos: Hearts Entwined book 4

28

The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the mansion. Mia stirred in her bed, feeling unusually heavy. Her head throbbed slightly, and her limbs ached with an unfamiliar fatigue. She tried to shake off the sluggishness but quickly realized something was off. Sitting up in bed, she felt light-headed and had to steady herself before standing.

"Maybe it's just a little cold," she muttered to herself, trying to shrug it off.

She got dressed slowly, the usual energy she had each morning noticeably absent. As she descended the stairs to check on Jiwoon, she found Jin already sitting at the breakfast table with his son, both of them chatting animatedly. Jiwoon was eating his cereal, spoon in hand, but his eyes lit up when he saw Mia enter the room.

"Mia!" he squealed, quickly jumping out of his seat and running over to her. "Good morning!"

Mia forced a smile, leaning down to hug Jiwoon, though the motion made her a little dizzy. “Morning, buddy.”

Jin looked up from his newspaper, immediately noticing the paleness in Mia’s face. He furrowed his brow, setting the paper aside. “Mia, are you okay? You don’t look too good.”

She waved a hand dismissively. “I’m fine. Probably just a little bug or something. It’ll pass.”

But Jin wasn’t convinced. He stood up and walked over to her, placing a hand gently on her forehead. His touch was warm and gentle, and Mia felt herself leaning into it without realizing.

“You’re burning up,” Jin said, his voice filled with concern. “You should go lie down.”

“I can’t,” Mia protested, though her voice lacked its usual firmness. “There’s still work to do, and Jiwoon—”

“Mia,” Jin interrupted, his tone soft but firm. “You’ve been taking care of us. Now it’s time for us to take care of you. Go back to bed. I’ll handle things here.”

Jiwoon, sensing something was wrong, tugged on Mia’s hand. “Are you sick, Mia? Do you need a doctor?”

Mia smiled weakly at the little boy, touched by his concern. “I’ll be okay, Jiwoon. I just need some rest.”

But Jiwoon wasn’t having it. He took her hand and started leading her toward the stairs. “You have to rest, like Daddy says. I’ll help take care of you!”

Jin watched the scene unfold with a small smile, admiring how much Jiwoon cared for Mia. He knew his son had developed a special bond with her, and seeing how Jiwoon wanted to help warmed his heart.

Mia allowed herself to be led back to her room, too tired to argue. Jiwoon helped her sit on the bed and quickly ran to grab one of his favorite stuffed animals—a small bunny he usually slept with—and placed it next to her.

“Here, Mia. You can borrow Mr. Bun-Bun. He always makes me feel better,” Jiwoon said proudly.

Mia smiled softly, her heart swelling with affection for the little boy. “Thank you, Jiwoon. I’ll take good care of him.”

Jin stepped into the room with a glass of water and a bottle of medicine. “Here, take this,” he said, handing her the water and some fever-reducing pills. “It’ll help with the fever.”

Mia hesitated but took the medicine, knowing she didn’t have the strength to argue. She lay back on the bed, pulling the covers up over herself. Jiwoon climbed onto the bed beside her, carefully arranging the blankets around her as if he were the one in charge.

“I’m the doctor now!” Jiwoon declared, making Mia laugh despite herself.

Jin smiled at the sight of his son trying to take care of Mia. He sat down in the chair next to the bed, watching as Jiwoon continued to fuss over her. It was clear that Jiwoon loved Mia, and the way he was acting reminded Jin of how much Mia had become a part of their family.

“Daddy,” Jiwoon said, turning to Jin with wide eyes. “Can I bring Mia some juice? Juice helps when I’m sick.”

Jin chuckled. “Sure, buddy. I’ll help you.”

Jiwoon eagerly ran out of the room, and Jin followed him to the kitchen, where they worked together to prepare a tray for Mia. Jiwoon insisted on picking out the nicest glass they had for her juice, and Jin couldn’t help but smile at his son’s determination to make Mia feel better.

When they returned to the bedroom, Mia was dozing lightly, but she stirred when she heard them enter. Jiwoon carefully set the tray down on the nightstand, beaming with pride.

“I brought you juice, Mia! You have to drink it all, okay?”

Mia smiled warmly at him, touched by his efforts. “Thank you, Jiwoon. You’re the best doctor ever.”

Jiwoon grinned from ear to ear and climbed back onto the bed, snuggling up next to her. He laid his head on her shoulder, holding Mr. Bun-Bun tightly in his arms.

“I’ll stay with you until you feel better,” Jiwoon said seriously.

Mia’s heart melted at the gesture. “Thank you, Jiwoon. I already feel a little better with you here.”

Jin watched the two of them with a soft expression, his heart swelling with emotions he couldn’t quite name. Seeing Mia and Jiwoon like this made him realize how important Mia had become in both of their lives. She wasn’t just Jiwoon’s nanny anymore—she was family.

As the day went on, Jin continued to check in on Mia, bringing her more water and food, even though she barely had an appetite. Jiwoon stayed by her side for most of the day, only leaving when Jin convinced him to take a nap.

By evening, Mia’s fever had started to go down, but she was still weak and tired. Jin sat with her, keeping her company while Jiwoon napped in his room.

“Thank you, Jin,” Mia said softly, her voice hoarse from the day. “You didn’t have to do all this.”

Jin shook his head. “Of course I did. You’ve done so much for us, Mia. This is the least I could do.”

Mia looked at him for a long moment, her eyes soft and full of gratitude. “I’m lucky to have you both,” she murmured.

Jin felt a strange warmth spread through him at her words, and for a moment, he was overwhelmed by how much he cared for her. He reached out and gently took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“We’re the lucky ones,” he said quietly.

Mia smiled, and for the first time that day, Jin felt like everything was going to be okay. They sat there in comfortable silence, their hands still entwined, as the day slowly faded into night.

Jin knew, deep down, that this moment meant more than just nursing her back to health. It was a reminder of how much Mia had become a part of their lives, and how much he wanted her to stay in them forever.